Safety-stirrup.



A. M. SIPES. SAFETY STIRRUP. APIIJOA'IIOIN FILE?) AUG. 16, 1912.

Patented May 20, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN 60.,WASHINGTON, n. c.

wi lmeooeo A. M. SIPBS.

SAFETY STIRRUP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1912. v

Patented May 20, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

miuuu vwemtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED M. SIPES, or ivrosnnrrn, TEXAS.

SAFETY-STIRRUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1913.

Application filed August 16, 1912. Serial No. 715,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. Srrns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mobeetie, in the county of Wheeler and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Stirrups; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in safety stirrups.

One object of the invention is to improve the stirrup shown in UnitedStates Patent, No. 1,007,247, granted to me October 31, 1911, wherebythe construction of the same is simplified and strengthened, and the 7operation made more reliable.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, aswill be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a front view partly in sectionof my improved stirrup with the hinged member in a closed or operativeposition; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the hinged member open; Fig.3 is a side view of the outer side of the stirrup; Fig.4 is a horizontalsection, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail perspectiveview of the upper catch member of the hinged side of the stirrup; Fig. 6is a perspective view of the catch fastening and releasing member; Fig.7 is a.

' similar view of the pivoted locking cam for and 3 and a bottom or basemember 4. The

the catch fastening and releasing member; Fi 8 is an outer side view ofthe stationary.

upper end of the side with which the hinged, portion of the stirrup isengaged, and Fig.

9 is a vertical sectional view through the base member of the stirruptaken on the line 99 of Fig. 4. V

My improved stirrup comprises an upper strap engaging member 1, sidemembers 2 upper strap engaging member has one side formed by anextensionof the side member 2 and has its opposite side constructed in the formof a keeper 5 adapted to receive the fastening mechanism or catch on theupper end of the side member 3. The sides of the upper strap engagingmember 1 are connected by a cross bar 6, to which the loop in the lowerend of the stirrup supporting with the side member 2 of the stirrup isfurther connected to the keeper 5 forming the opposite side of the strapengaging member by a bolt 7.

The side 3 of the stirrup is formed integral with one end of the'bottomor base member and the opposite end of said base member is hingedlyconnected to the lower end of the side member 2 of the stirrup, wherebywhen the side member 3 and base member 4 are released they will swingdown to an open position, as shown in Fi 2. of the drawings, therebyreleasing. the foot of the rider. The hinged connection between the endof the base or bottom member and the end of the side member 2 is coveredand protected on the innerside of the stirrup by a guard plate 8, asshown.

The upper portion of the side member 3 1s recessed or cut away to aboutone-half the width of said member. of said side member 3 is aforwardly-projecting pivot stud 9, on which is pivotally secured a catch10 having in its lower end a notch 11 has also arranged therein anoutwardly proectlng gulde lug 13, which is adapted to engagethe forwardedge of the upper end of the side member 3 when said end of the memberis swung into engagement with the keeper. When the upper end of the sidemember 3 is swung into engagement with the keeper 5 the notch 11 in thecatch 10 will be engaged with the lug 12 in the keeper until the sidemember .3 is forcibly pulled out of engagement with the keeper.

The catch 10 is held against casual disengagement from the lug 12 in thekeeper by a catch fastening and releasing member 14, comprising a platewhich conforms some-. what in shape to the shape of the cutout portionof the side member 3 of the stirrup, said plate being hingedly connectedat its inner edge to the inner edge of the recessed portion of the sidemember 3 and having its up per end engaged with the lower side-of thelug 12 when the plate 14 is in a closed or operative position. When thefastening member or plate 14 is thus closed and its upper end broughtinto engagement with the lug 12, the disengagement of the notch 11 inthe catch 10 from the upper side of said lug 12 is prevented. The outeredge of the fastening plate or member 14 is preferably turned back uponitself to form a bead 15, which is adapted to be engaged by the foot ofthe rider should the latter be thrown from the horse. WVhen the plate ormember 1 1 is thus engaged by the foot of the rider, the plate will beswung outwardly, thus disengaging the upper end of the plate from thelug 12, which will permit the dis engagement of the notched end of thecatch from the upper side of said lug 12, thus releasing the hingedmembers of the stirrup A and permitting said members to swing down andrelease the foot of the rider from the stirrup.

In order to hold the fastening member lt against casual opening by thefoot of the rider, I provide a detent for normally holding the plate orfastening member 14: against movement. The detent is in the form of adisk 16, which is eccentrically pivoted in a notch 17 in the upper edgeof the recessed portion of the side member 3 of the stub and has on itsupper side a catch finger 18 adapted to engage the lower end of theplate or fastening member 14 when the latter is in a closed or operativeposition. The inner end of the disk 16 projects inwardly a suitabledistance and has pivotally connected thereto the bifurcated upper end ofa link 19. The lower end of the link 19 is pivotally connected to theouter end of the footplate 20 pivotally secured to the guard plate 8 andengaged with a recess formed in said plate. When the foot plate 20 isthus arranged, the foot of the rider will be engaged therewith and saidplate will be thus depressed and held down against the bottom member ofthe stirrup in the recess of the guard plate 8. When the foot plate isthus held the finger 18 on the disk 16 of the detent for the latchfastening member will be held in operative engagement with said member,thereby preventing the casual opening or movement thereof as long as thefoot of the rider is engaged with the foot plate 20. The bottom or basemember of the stirrup beneath the foot plate 20 has preferably formedtherein apertures, whereby dirt or foreign matter is prevented fromaccumulating beneath the foot plate and thereby interfering with theproper operation of theplate.

By constructing and arranging my improved stirrup as herein shown anddescribed, it will be seen that as long as the rider keeps his seat andhas his foot in proper engagement in the stirrup, the looking mechanismof the hinged member will remain in position for holding said hingedmembers of the stirrup closed and in operative position. If whendismounting or being thrown from the horse, the foot of the rider iscaught in the stirrup, the upward movement of the foot will release thefoot plate 20 and the detent operated thereby, so that when the toe ofthe foot comes into engagement with the beaded edge of the catchfastening member 14, the latter will be swung outwardly, thus releasingthe catch 10 and permitting the hinged members of the stirrup to swingdownwardly and thereby release the foot of the rider.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to Without departing from the side memberand having a hinged connection with theopposite rigid side member, acatch to fasten the upper end of the hinged side of the stirrup in saidkeeper, a catch fastening and releasing member, and a detent operated bythe foot of the rider to hold said catch fastening member in operativeposition.

2. A safety stirrup comprising a strap engaging member having on one enda keeper, a stationary side member having a fixed connection at itsupper end with one end of a strap engaging member, an integrallyformedside and base member hingedly connected at one end to the lower end ofsaid stationary side member and having a detachable engagement with saidkeeper, a catch pivotally secured to the upper end of said hinged sideand base member and adapt ed to be engaged with the keeper on said strapengaging member, whereby said hinged side member is held in a closed andoperative position, a catch fastening and releasing member hingedlyconnected to said hinged side member, whereby the catch thereon is heldin operative engagement with the keeper and a foot actuated detentadapted to lock said fastening member in operative position.

3. In a safety stirrup, a strap engaging member having on one end akeeper provided with a catch receiving lug, a stationary side memberhaving a fixed connection at its upper end with the opposite end of saidstrap engaging member, an integrally formed side and base memberhingedly connected at one end to the lower end of the stationary side ofthe stirrup and having in its side portion a recess, a catchpivotally-mounted on the upper end of the recessed side portion of saidhinged member and having therein a notch adapted to be engaged with thelug in said keeper, whereby said hinged member is held in a closed oroperative position, a catch fastening and releasing member hingedlyconnected to the recessed side portion of the hinged member of thestirrup and adapted to be swung into engagement with the lower side ofthe lug in said keeper, whereby the catch is held in operativeengagement withthe lug, a detent pivotally mounted on the stirrup andhaving an operative engagement with the catch fastening member, and afoot bar pivotally-mounted on the base portion of said hinged sidemember and having an operative connection with said detent, whereby whenthe foot of the rider is engaged with the stirrup said detent will beheld in operative engagement with the catch fastening member and where-Vmy hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED M. SIPES.

Witnesses S. D. PARK, A. T. PARTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

